Harrisburg relief pitcher Aaron Barrett, right, recorded his 18th save in 20 opportunities this season when the Senators beat the Bowie Baysox 3-2 on Monday afternoon at Metro Bank Park in the final game before the Eastern League all-star break.
(Paul Chaplin | pchaplin@pennlive.com)

* Given the weather conditions, the monotony of playing the same team for the seventh time in five days and the looming Eastern League all-star break, Sens manager Matt LeCroy was thrilled with Monday’s outcome.

Harrisburg (50-41) has won six of its last eight games and remains 2½ games ahead of the second-place Erie SeaWolves in the Western Division standings.

“I know everybody thinks about the all-star break,” LeCroy said. “From playing, I know that sometimes your mind isn’t always at the right spot when you’re thinking about getting on a plane or going home. Our guys stepped up and did pretty well.

“We had the rain and dealt with it a couple nights. Fortunately for our guys, we played a really good team and won the series. We played really well and I’m proud of them.”

* About an hour into Monday afternoon’s rain delay, Sens pitching coach Paul Menhart gave left-hander Matt Grace the news: He would be taking over for right-handed starter Nathan Karns, who was done after 3.1 innings.

“He said, ‘You’ve got the ball whenever we start up again,’” Grace said. “We were watching TV in the clubhouse and saw them taking the tarp off, which usually means another half hour until we’re playing. I just treated it like I was coming out of the bullpen in any other game.”

Grace worked 3.2 innings, held the Baysox to just two hits and a run, and improved to 2-1 this season. With Harrisburg’s relief corps already taxed by doubleheaders on Friday and Sunday, Monday’s 92-minute rain delay didn’t help matters.

“The bullpen knew coming into this series we’d have to step up for the team in certain situations, especially with the doubleheaders and possible rain delays,” Grace said. “Somebody had to step in there today, eat up some innings and throw strikes a little bit. It was big for us.”

* LeCroy was especially encouraged by the Monday performance of another reliever, former Detroit Tigers right-hander Ryan Perry, who struck out two Bowie batters and induced a groundout to a third in his perfect eighth-inning showing.

The 26-year-old Perry struggled with Triple-A Syracuse, posting a 1-4 record and 7.93 ERA for the Chiefs in 12 games before a June 18 demotion to Harrisburg. Eight of those appearances were starts, but all of his 156 career major league games came in a relief role.

In his first four outings for the Sens, Perry was 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA and four walks in 4.1 innings.

“I was really proud of Perry,” LeCroy said. “That’s the best he’s thrown all year for us. He’s been working on some things that looked pretty good. He’s a guy, for me, I want him to be another closer, another guy to stop games on days when [Aaron] Barrett has off. That way we’ve got somebody who can come in and do it.

“He’s done it in the big leagues and he’s working on some things. He’s starting to get the feeling back, which is good.”

* Harrisburg first baseman Justin Bloxom singled, walked twice, scored a run and drove in another. After the game, he couldn’t stop smiling as he thought about the Sens reaching the 50-win plateau heading into a pair of well-earned off days.

“Getting to 50 is huge in the first half of the season,” Bloxom said. “Getting that extra win and picking up another game on Bowie was huge. That’s a good team, man. They’re gonna beat some people. To get an extra game up on them is huge for us in the long run.”

And what about the time off?

“Everybody here needs it, if not physically but mentally, to just get away from the game a little bit,” Bloxom said. “Two days off in a row will be really good for everybody.”

Not all the Sens get time off, though. Right-handed closer Aaron Barrett and outfielders Brian Goodwin and Steven Souza Jr. are heading to New Britain, Conn. For Wednesday’s Eastern League All-Star Game. Harrisburg right-handers Paul Demny (disabled list) and Taylor Jordan (Washington Nationals) along with shortstop Josh Johnson (playing for Triple-A Syracuse) were selected but will not participate.

Elsewhere in the Eastern League on Monday:

Erie SeaWolves 7, Altoona Curve 6: Center fielder Jamie Johnson’s sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning plated third baseman Wade Gaynor with the tie-breaking run as Erie (46-42) beat Altoona (39-50) for its third straight win.

New Britain Rock Cats 2, Portland Sea Dogs 1: Right-hander Virgil Vazquez took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and a shutout into the bottom of the ninth before settling for a complete-game victory with nine strikeouts, leading New Britain (44-45) past Portland (45-42).

Akron Aeros 12, Richmond Flying Squirrels 5: Third baseman Giovanny Urshela slugged a three-run homer, one of three hit by visiting Akron (44-46) in a rout of Richmond (42-47).

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 7, Binghamton Mets 6: Second baseman Ryan Schimpf cracked a bases-loaded double as part of a five-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning, and New Hampshire (43-46) went on to beat Binghamton (53-33).